Slight Hiatus...

So....it's been awhile.  Hopefully, I can get this blog back up and going.  Maybe use it to destress, put down ideas, etc.  For my first post back, since Patrick is traveling for work, I decided to try a new recipe from Pinterest (the best site EVER!) 

Source: recipe.com via Alison on Pinterest

Avocado basil pasta...AMAZING! And, it's actually fairly light.  There is some olive oil, and the avocado (which is good fat), and bacon, but there is no cream sauce.  And you can control the amount of the fattening ingredients.  I used bowtie pasta, not wagon wheel.  This recipe would also be really good with grilled chicken on top or on the side.  Definitely worth trying, and a serving is actually a lot of food.  Here's the recipe:

8 oz dried bow tie and/or wagon wheel pasta
2 medium avocados, halved, seeded, peeled and coarsely chopped
6 slices bacon, crisp cooked, drained, and crumbled
2/3 C chopped fresh basil
2 T lemon juice
1 T olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 t ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 C finely shredded Pecorino Romano cheese

Note:  I used fresh grated parmesan cheese because I couldn't find Pecorino Romano.  Make sure to mince your garlic very fine.  Get a chunk of that and it will light you up!  Another thing, if you get the recipe off of http://www.recipe.com/, it will tell you what is on sale.  Of course, none of those stores are in Birmingham!

1. Cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain.
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl combine the avocados, bacon, basil, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, pepper, and salt.  Add the hot pasta and toss to combine.  Transfer to a serving bowl (I didn't) and sprinkle with cheese.

The longest part of this was peeling the avocados because I got the big green smooth kind, and they are harder to peel.  Also, I read a suggestion that it's better to use avocados that are not completely ripe because they will hold up better.  I completely agree.

Buon Appetito!